Excellent material on the early Irish history

This text is a crucial element in the genealogical history of many old Irish and Scotish families (who can trace their roots to Ireland). This text includes the Latin, Gaelic and English translations of the original books. Although the beginning volumes were written about 500 to 1000 years after the events occurred, the stories that one finds included there are fascinating, and add to any family history (provided you can trace back that far!) a depth that is difficult to find elsewhere. I post a web site that traces the roots of the Buchanan clan, and have used a copy of the text available from the NY Public Library as one of my sources. Numerous individuals have e-mailed me asking for sources to purchase this text, and it would be helpful if it would be reprinted. For now, ask your local library to get the book for you on interlibrary loan from the NY Public Library (or others). Needless to say, I highly recommend this text and would be the first to purchase it if it were reprinted.

'The Annals of the Four Masters' is one of the most important documents for students of Irish, British, European and ancient history. You will not find much of this history in your high school or even college text books. John O'Donovan, a 19th century antiquarian undertook the enormous task of interpreting this account of Irish history as written in gaelic by the Four Masters, legendary scribes from a Donegal monastery. On the left hand page you get the original gaelic text, on the right the english translation, some anecdotes are in Latin. The anecdotes are as rich in reading as the text and include some by the late 19th century historian Charles O'Conor of Belengare, Ireland. REPRINT THESE VOLUMES....for here lie the dormant pages of Irish, British, Norman, Saxon, Scotish, Iberian, Hiberian, Milesian, Pictish and Gaelic history and perhaps the key to unraveling are current problems. Stephen Vincent O`Rourke

One of the few books printed in Gaelic and in modern English - It is an original source for the life and genealogies of families in the area...the appendix contains all sorts of info...You really have to be interested in Ireland and its history - this is an experts book - not for casual browser. The author, John O'Donovan was a leading genealogist and researcher in the 1800's. This is a big book compared to his 'Tribes....Hy Many' and it has a lot more in it. I am reading it at the IGF library - the only place I could find it !

Covering the Golden Age of the Gaels, the Viking Raids on the ancient territory of Ui Maine , the Norman Conquests and Land Wars of the 1100's through to the gealic resurgence of the 1300's, this must rate among one of the definitive guides to the history of western Ireland from 1000AD to 1600AD. It covers the history of the clanns of Hy Many focusing on the O'Kelly & O'Madden clanns with clear, well documented factual accounts of not only geneaologies of the families but also their daily lives, customs and traditions. A must read for the professional reseacher and enthusiast.

This book is a must for anyone with an interest in County Clare history or genealogy. Included in this primary reference source are the personal letters and observations of the surveyors involved in making the Ordance Survey maps of Ireland. The material provided can not be found in any other source. Every parish is accounted for with descriptions of churches, castles, and significant topographical features. This text should be considered supplemental and more personalized than Lewis's "Topographical Dictionary of Ireland". One should not expect to find extensive genealogical information on 19th century farmers, but there the lords of castles listed and some older family pedigrees. While this is primarily a reference book it also contains comments of the travels of the authors and reads as an interesting and enjoyable novel.